Remembrance Among Friends
by TenzouGirl
Summary: Rikku remembers Auron through storytelling with Lightning and Tifa.
1. The Cold Truth

A/N: Im trying desperately to get some sort of inspiration... maybe I will on my week long camping trip with the family! But until then... don't worry Rachelplum/Rikku Ronso, I'll try my hardest to start that story for you... still haven't had the time... Ugh SO BUSY! But as I was saying, I found this from a LOOOOONG time ago, so don't ridicule me, its not my best, but its something. Enjoy! -TenzouGirl

The Cold Truth

Rikku wasn't sure how long she'd been standing there staring. She had no concept of anything since "he" had left. Him. Auron. She was like an empty shell of sadness and fake smiles. People who didn't know her didn't expect anything, but people who did, especially her best friends, noticed quickly. Every night she would crawl into bed quietly and reminisce. It hadn't seemed fair when he left; and it still didn't. _Why him? Why Auron? _Even his named pained her now. After one particular bad night Tifa woke her from her nightmare, partnered with Lightning who had also burst into the room to see what was the matter. Both Zack and Cloud peeked their heads in the door curiously but were shooed out by both girlfriends. "It's girl time!" Tifa whispered quietly to them as she shut the door.

"Are you okay, Rikku?" Lighting asked quietly, patting her back soothingly.

"Bad dream again?" Tifa asked, nearly silent. "Was it about _him?"_

Silent tears rolled down Rikku's face. "I _wish_ with my whole heart that it was just a dream." She bit her lip as the tears came faster, "but it was the truth. The cold, unfair, heartbreaking truth." The young teen held back a sob, "He's gone. Forever."

Both friends sat on the bed next to Rikku and gave her a long hug. It was all she needed now; true friends helped Rikku through a lot of things.

"Since he- Since Auron left, all I can dream of is him. I miss him _so much it hurts." _The two nodded, understanding. _Cloud…and Zack… they both came back. So did that goofball, Tidus…So why not Auron? Why am I being punished..? Is the mere fact that I am an Al Bhed, a user of Machina…is that reason enough to cause me such pain? What have I done?_

Auron was her guardian. Her love, her knight in rusted armor. Auron loved her and protected her with his whole being- his _soul_ even. Sure, he was unsent… but that doesn't mean that he couldn't _be human. _Auron could love, laugh, he could _FEEL _just like anyone else. Rikku had proven that to him. They were two completely different beings joined together by their souls. _Back then… I thought we would always be together, even when we weren't. _

No matter how much love they had shown, he was gone now. He had passed long before they had met. He was unsent, she was not. It was something Auron had refused to share until the end, and a fact that Rikku had refused to believe.


	2. Pinky Promises

Pinky Swears

"I remember his smile…" Rikku smirked crookedly. "His smile was so cute."

Tifa huffed, "He actually knew how to? Auron always seemed so damn grumpy to me. Hmph; I hardly got three words out of him."

Lightning agreed, "Yeah. I've never seen all of his face; I kinda figured he like didn't have any lips or anything…"

Rikku snorted. "No _trust me. _He had lips." She grinned wider, "and he wouldn't show his face to mere humans… or creepy old chicks." The young teen cackled evilly like a witch. _Lulu would have resented that comment._

She frowned slightly, pondering. "So… do you guys think Lulu was trying to get Aurrie for herself? She always acted…odd around him. It made me _crazy_ jealous, even when I wasn't _with him_." Tifa cocked an eyebrow. "I actually considered asking out Wakka to get her jealous. I didn't want to take the chance of Wakka falling in love or them actually getting together, though."

"Jeez Rikku… you and your crazy schemes…" Lightning rolled her eyes. " I'm not quite sure, though. I don't really _know _Lulu. She seems okay, but I wasn't _in love with Auron _now was I?" She frowned. "Wait… I've never heard the story of how you two got together!"

"SPILL THE BEANS!" Tifa called from the kitchen, as she had just walked into it to get a snack.

"Gather 'round, young children for it is a _long story…" _Rikku began like an old storyteller, "Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away… a young jedi-" Tifa smacked Rikku's arm when she returned.

"Be serious!"

Rikku sighed, "Fine. Jeez, ruin my fun." She paused to think, "So… let's see. It was on Yuna's pilgrimage… um… " she tapped her temple with her pointer finger. "Think… think… think…" she paused again, "Ah HA! I remember now. So on Yuna's pilgrimage, we were all packed into Seymour's, the bastard, mansion. I remember being nearly overwhelmed. That creepy ass dude scared the crap outta me." _Oh god I'm starting to sound like my father… "_Yuna had left the room with Seymour to discuss something. I remember trying to follow but Lulu, being Lulu, glared at me and I stopped right away.

I got bored really fast and I was _killer hungry_ so I started eating, I mean it had been right after we had stopped off at a place to eat but I was nervous so-"

"That's a bad habit." Lightning interjected.

"Do you want me to finish the story or what?"

"YES!" both Tifa and Lightning screamed.

"Well SHHHH then! Where was I? Oh yeah, Seymour's mansion. So anyways, I was eating from the weird buffet table… everything was all Guado and stuffs. I was acting like a fiend and Auron comes up and goes…"

"You're being a disturbance." Auron observed.

"Well you're being a crab ass." Rikku shot back and continued to demolish an apple-looking item.

"Hmph." He remained there and scowled.

"Your face is going to freeze like that."

Auron glanced over at her behind his glasses. "Hmph."

"Right back at 'cha big guy." She yawned, "At my home it is considered rude to wear sunglasses when someone is talking to you."

"Then consider me rude." Auron glared at the door in which Yuna had left with Seymour.

"You're really worried aren't you? I can tell. You're always really crabby when you're nervous or something. Do you do that to cover it up? I don't think anyone would make fun of you or anything. It's just _human emotions._"

That comment seemed to bug him. _If only I were capable of such emotions. _Auron remained silent, Rikku sighed once more. "You don't have to hide yourself from me, you know. I'm not gonna bite your face off or anything. You can trust me." She smiled slightly.

Auron's face warmed slightly. "Thank you." He hesitated, "You… can trust me as well."

Rikku peeked at him, "Are- are you _BLUSHING_?" she snatched his sunglasses. "YOU _ARE_!" Auron glared slightly.

"Return those."

"Eh. I don't really wanna." Rikku smirked devilishly.

"Give my glasses back. _Now._" He used his 'Auron voice'.

"You don't scare me. You're about as scary as a moogle teddy bear!"

"You're trying my patience, Rikku."

"Hey! That's the first time you've said my name!" she grinned widely, "I feel special! Gimme a big hug!"

Auron frowned, "Give me my glasses."

"Hug first, glasses after. _Promise me!"_

"Promise you? Why would I give you a hug?"

"_Because… that's just what friends do." _She smiled brilliantly and held out her pinky. "Pinky promises _can't be broken." _

Auron looked unsure as he scanned the room to see if the other guardians were watching before he hesitantly hooked his much larger pinky finger with hers. "I give you my word."

Rikku grinned and opened her arms. "Gimme a hug then!"

"…."

When he didn't move she frowned. "But… you promised. I-…" she handed him his glasses and walked away, a sad look on her features. _I finally thought I was getting through to him. That was so stupid of me._

She got a few steps in before two large arms enveloped her from behind. "I… gave you my word, did I not?" his voice was right next to her ear, she stiffened.

"A- Auron?"

"I _promised. Didn't I?" _he paused, "_I was told… that such an oath cannot be broken." S_he could hear in his voice that he was smirking.

She smiled, tears starting to build up, "_Thank you. You have no idea how much that means."_

He moved his arms; as soon as he did she sprung back and hugged him herself. _She- it was just a hug… I-… _Auron's mind floundered. She seemed so nonchalant that he was a legendary _killer_; she seemed to feel so safe near him when he had treated her unlike she had deserved. _Why does she act this way?_

After her happy sniffles died down she pulled back and smiled at him. "I want one more promise."

"_Another?" _Auron seemed appalled by the gesture, but Rikku knew he was simply confused. It was a 'what do you want now?' from him.

"Promise me… that we'll always be with each other. Friends _always." _She had a look of determination about her.

"_Always…be together? Friends..? Why do you regard me in such a way? What have I done for you?"_

"You didn't have to do anything. I can tell that you would do _anything to protect me and Yuna; Tidus too._ They don't seem to see how much you care, but I do. I want to return the favor. You can _always come to me, and I hope that I can do the same with you. That's what friends do."_

Auron frowned slightly, _Friends… that word, again. "_I never asked for anything like this."

"You don't need to ask, dummy. I want to be there for you, as you have been for me. You've saved my ass out there on the battlefield PLENTY OF TIMES. It's the least I can do. Just promise already, will ya?"

"I… swear on my life." He hooked pinkies again.

Rikku felt her eyes welling up again. "Urg! Stupid… emotions…" Auron patted her shoulder awkwardly.

"There… there…" he seemed frustrated for his lack of better words.

She giggled, "Thanks for trying, bud." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before running back to the buffet.

"How was the story of how you guys got together?" Both women were agitated.

"OH! That's the story you wanted? You should have said something." The young Al-Bhed smiled sheepishly.

"RIKKU!"

Rikku ran quickly from the room and locked herself in the bathroom. She looked down at the emerald bracelet he had given her before he had left. "_You know, Auron. I thought we both agreed… Pinky swears can't be broken."_


End file.
